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David Luce

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Admiral

Sir David Luce
Admiral Sir David Luce
Born(1906-01-23)23 January 1906
Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Died6 January 1971(1971-01-06)(aged 64)
Bath, Somerset
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1919–1966
RankAdmiral
CommandsFirst Sea Lord(1963–1966)
Far East Fleet(1960–1962)
Scotland and Northern Ireland(1958–1959)
Flotillas for theHome Fleet(1956–1958)
HMSBirmingham(1952–1953)
HMSLiverpool(1951–1952)
RNAS Ford(1946–1949)
HMSCachalot(1940–1941)
HMSRainbow(1939–1940)
HMSRegulus(1938–1939)
HMSH44(1935–1936)
Battles/warsSecond World War Korean War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order&Bar
Officer of theOrder of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches
Grand Officer of the Order of Aviz(Portugal)[1]
Order of the Two Rivers, Third Class(Iraq)
RelationsRear AdmiralJohn Luce(father)
Sir William Luce(brother)

AdmiralSir John David Luce,GCB,DSO&Bar,OBE(23 January 1906 – 6 January 1971) was aRoyal Navyofficer. He fought in theSecond World Waras asubmarinecommander before taking part in theDieppe Raidand becoming Chief Staff Officer to the Naval Forces for theNormandy landings.He also commanded acruiserduring theKorean War.He served asFirst Sea Lordand Chief of the Naval Staff in the mid-1960s and in that role resigned from the Royal Navy along with Navy MinisterChristopher Mayhewin March 1966 in protest over the decision by theLabourSecretary of State for Defence,Denis Healey,to cancel theCVA-01aircraft carrierprogramme.

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Born the son of Rear AdmiralJohn Luceand Mary Dorothea Luce (née Tucker), Luce was educated at theRoyal Naval College, Dartmouth.[2]He joined theRoyal Navyas acadetin 1919[3]and, having been promoted tomidshipmanon 15 January 1924, he went to sea in thebattleshipHMSIron Duke.[4]

Promoted tosub-lieutenanton 30 January 1927,[5]Luce trained as asubmarinespecialist in 1927 and was posted to the submarineHMSL23in April 1928.[4]Promoted tolieutenanton 16 October 1928,[6]he transferred to the submarineHMSH49in October 1929.[4]He joined the battleshipHMSQueen Elizabethin theMediterranean Fleetin December 1930 and became First Lieutenant in the submarineHMSOsirison theChina Stationin September 1933.[4]Having attended theSubmarine Command Coursein Summer 1935, he was given command of the submarineHMSH44in August 1935.[4]Promoted tolieutenant commanderon 16 October 1936,[7]he attended theRoyal Naval Staff Collegein Spring 1937 and then became Staff Officer (Operations) for the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station in January 1938.[4]He was given command of the submarineHMSRegulusin December 1938 and the submarineHMSRainbowin March 1939.[4]

The cruiserHMSSwiftsurein which Luce served as Executive Officer during the Second World War

Luce served in theSecond World War,initially in command of the Rainbow and then, from June 1940, in command of the submarineHMSCachalot.[4]The hazardous patrols he undertook in these submarines led to him being awarded theDistinguished Service Order(DSO) on 12 November 1940.[8]Promoted tocommanderon 31 December 1940, he was posted to the Plans Division of theAdmiraltyin March 1941 and then became Naval Raid planner on the staff of the Naval Adviser atCombined Operations Headquarters.[4]He took part in theDieppe Raidin August 1942 for which he was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empireon 2 October 1942[9]and was appointed Chief Staff Officer to the Naval Forces for theNormandy landingsin June 1944 as a result of which he won aBarto his DSO on 14 November 1944.[10]He went on to be Executive Officer of thecruiserHMSSwiftsurein theBritish Pacific Fleetin August 1944 and was promoted tocaptainon 30 June 1945.[11]

After the war, Luce became Chief of Staff (Operations) to the Commander-in-Chief, British Pacific Fleet.[4]He went on to be Commanding officer ofRoyal Naval Air Station Fordin September 1946 and became deputy director of Plans at the Admiralty in December 1948.[4]After that he became Commanding Officer of the cruiserHMSLiverpoolin 1951 and then commanded the cruiserHMSBirminghamin 1952 in coastal bombardment operations during theKorean Warfor which he wasmentioned in despatcheson 19 May 1953.[12]

Luce became Director of the Royal Naval Staff College in March 1953 and was appointed NavalAide-de-Camptothe Queenon 7 July 1954[13]before moving on to beNaval Secretaryin August 1954.[4]Promoted torear admiralon 7 January 1955,[14]he became Flag Officer, Flotillas for theHome Fleetin August 1956 and, having been appointed a Companion of theOrder of the Bathin the1957 New Year Honours[15]and promoted tovice admiralon 31 January 1958,[16]he becameFlag Officer, Scotland and Northern Irelandin July 1958.[4]Advanced to Knight Commander of theOrder of the Bathin the 1960New Year Honours,[17]he becameCommander-in-chief, Far East Fleetin April 1960 and, having received promotion to fulladmiralon 22 August 1960,[18]he became Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in the Far East and UK Military Adviser to theSoutheast Asia Treaty Organizationin November 1962.[4]He was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bathin the1963 Birthday Honours.[19]

Luce becameFirst Sea Lordand Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1963.[4]He resigned from theRoyal Navyalong with Navy MinisterChristopher Mayhewon 15 March 1966[20]in protest over the decision by theLabourSecretary of State for Defence,Denis Healey,to cancel theCVA-01aircraft carrierprogramme.[21]

Later career

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In retirement, Luce became President of the Royal Naval Association.[4]He was appointed an Officer of theVenerable Order of Saint Johnon 3 January 1969.[22]He died, less than five years after his resignation from the Navy, at Lansdown Nursing Home inBath,Somerseton 6 January 1971.[4]

Family

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In 1935, Luce married Mary Adelaide Norah Whitham; they had two sons.[4]His younger brother,Sir William,wasGovernor and Commander-in-ChiefofAden(1956–1960). William's son,Richard Luce, Baron Luce,was aConservativeMP (1971–1992),Governor of Gibraltar(1997–2000) andLord Chamberlain(2000–2006).[23]

References

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  1. ^"Portuguese Honorary Orders".President of Portugal.Retrieved15 September2012.
  2. ^Grove, Eric J. (2004)."Admiral Sir David Luce".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65602.Retrieved15 September2012.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  3. ^"Admiral Sir David Luce".Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives.Retrieved15 September2012.
  4. ^abcdefghijklmnopqr"Sir David Luce".Unit Histories.Retrieved15 September2012.
  5. ^"No. 33325".The London Gazette.1 November 1927. p. 6896.
  6. ^"No. 33436".The London Gazette.6 November 1928. p. 7212.
  7. ^"No. 34333".The London Gazette.20 October 1936. p. 6688.
  8. ^"No. 34991".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 November 1940. p. 6549.
  9. ^"No. 35729".The London Gazette(Supplement). 2 October 1942. p. 4324.
  10. ^"No. 36794".The London Gazette(Supplement). 10 November 1944. p. 5214.
  11. ^"No. 37183".The London Gazette.17 July 1945. p. 3689.
  12. ^"No. 39854".The London Gazette(Supplement). 15 May 1953. p. 2766.
  13. ^"No. 40232".The London Gazette.16 July 1954. p. 4171.
  14. ^"No. 40414".The London Gazette.22 February 1955. p. 1097.
  15. ^"No. 40960".The London Gazette(Supplement). 28 December 1956. p. 2.
  16. ^"No. 41382".The London Gazette(Supplement). 9 May 1958. p. 2904.
  17. ^"No. 41909".The London Gazette(Supplement). 29 December 1959. p. 3.
  18. ^"No. 42159".The London Gazette.4 October 1960. p. 6702.
  19. ^"No. 43010".The London Gazette(Supplement). 31 May 1963. p. 4794.
  20. ^"No. 43974".The London Gazette.6 May 1966. p. 5448.
  21. ^"The promised two new aircraft carriers".Retrieved15 September2012.
  22. ^"No. 44757".The London Gazette.3 January 1969. p. 129.
  23. ^"Sir William Luce".The Peerage.Retrieved26 January2016.
Military offices
Preceded by Naval Secretary
1954–1956 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
1958–1959 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet
1960–1962 		Succeeded by
Preceded by First Sea Lord
1963–1966 		Succeeded by
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